Find Court Cases > Cruzan v. Director, Missouri Dept. of Health

Cruzan v. Director, Missouri Dept. of Health

Case Date: 12/06/1989
Docket No: none

Facts of the Case 

In 1983, Nancy Beth Cruzan was involved in an automobile accident which left her in a "persistent vegetative state." She was sustained for several weeks by artificial feedings through an implanted gastronomy tube. When Cruzan's parents attempted to terminate the life-support system, state hospital officials refused to do so without court approval. The Missouri Supreme Court ruled in favor of the state's policy over Cruzan's right to refuse treatment.

Question 

Did the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment permit Cruzan's parents to refuse life-sustaining treatment on their daughter's behalf?

Argument Cruzan v. Director, Missouri Dept. of Health - Oral ArgumentFull Transcript Text  Download MP3 Conclusion  Decision: 5 votes for Director, Missouri Dept. of Health, 4 vote(s) against Legal provision: Due Process

In a 5-to-4 decision, the Court held that while individuals enjoyed the right to refuse medical treatment under the Due Process Clause, incompetent persons were not able to exercise such rights. Absent "clear and convincing" evidence that Cruzan desired treatment to be withdrawn, the Court found the State of Missouri's actions designed to preserve human life to be constitutional. Because there was no guarantee family members would always act in the best interests of incompetent patients, and because erroneous decisions to withdraw treatment were irreversible, the Court upheld the state's heightened evidentiary requirements.